New York City’s 10 Most Notable Burgers

Without a doubt, one of the richest burger scenes in the world is found in New York City. The approximately 8 million people who live in the world’s premier city have easy access to its sheer litany of burgers. But a city’s inhabitants can’t keep their great burgers all to themselves.

Before I travel, I always research the most buzzworthy burgers. The following list comprises 10 New York City burgers that are currently tempting me to travel all the way from Montreal to the center of the world, because they stand out from the large pack of thousands.

10. Corner Bistro When in Rome, do as he Romans. Meaning whenever I visit an unfamiliar city, I try to eat what everyday citizens eat. That place in New York City seems to be Corner Bistro. On nearly every must-try list, you’ll find this well-known burger joint and its Bistro Burger with cheese and bacon. And, as long as we’re going to do like the locals, get a beer with it.

9. The Burger Joint For an outsider, it sometimes takes more than just an appealing burger to get one’s attention. The thing about this particular joint is that it’s not exactly easy to find, tucked into a small corner of the posh Le Parker Meridien hotel. Like most great burger places, the burgers on the menu are quite simple and thankfully won’t cost you as much as a room.

8. Shake Shack A list of New York burger places is incomplete without Shake Shack. Established nearly 10 years ago in Madison Square Park and originally conceived as a hot dog cart, you’ll need patience if you plan on having a burger here, as the wait can last a few hours. Of course, like many successful enterprises, expansion was the next step and now you can find a Shake Shack in many locations. Still, I find the pilgrimage to the original location quite necessary, especially since the menu has a section for dogs.

7. The Spotted Pig A little controversy can create a lot of cash. Last November, Gordon Ramsay tried to trademark the Spotted Pig name for his restaurant in England. What he didn’t know was that it was already quite a place to go, from the mind of another famous television chef, Mario Batali. Their ensuing Twitter war prompted enough intrigue to make Batali’s chargrilled burger creations worth seeking out.

6. 5 Napkin Burger I can’t resist a burger that sounds like a challenge, especially when that challenge includes 10 ounces of fresh ground chuck topped with Gruyère and rosemary aioli. This restaurant took on its name from chef Andy D’Amico’s taste for greasy and enjoyable burgers. And this year, the Hell’s Kitchen location is celebrating its 10th year, so he must be doing something right.